There You'll Be
by Sassy
Summary: A new teacher comes to Hogwart's to teach Muggle Studies. She was raised as a muggle, but has powers even she's unaware of. A certain black hair teacher will be the one to bring them out.
1. Prologue

There You'll Be  
  
Prologue  
  
Slumping back against his chair, Albus Dumbledore rubbed his tired eyes. He'd just finished going through the last of the recommendations for the Muggle Studies position, and none of them were quite right. After winning the Wizard Lottery, Professor Dipstick decided to retire so he could spend more time with his family.  
  
"Where am I going to find another teacher?" Dumbledore sighed softly. With a gentle swish of his wand, a steaming cup of hot chocolate appeared before him. He raised it to his mouth and sipped carefully.  
  
As he placed his mug back onto his desk, there was a firm knocking at the door.  
  
"Lemon drops," he said aloud, causing the door to open outward.  
  
As the door swung open, in stepped Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of the school. Walking towards his desk, she handed him a piece of paper. "This just arrived from Joshua."  
  
"Wonderful," he said as he took the parchment, and started reading it. The visible weariness disappeared quickly replaced by pure interest. His eyes darted quickly across the note as he read.  
  
Joshua James was once a teacher of History of Magic at Hogwarts. Eight years before, he retired so he could spend more time with his granddaughter and great-grandson. A year after he left Hogwarts, he retired to Florida.  
  
"Ah, Delilah's asking me to come to her dance program," Dumbledore explained when he finished with the letter.  
  
"Oh, really? How are she and Aaron doing?" Professor McGonagall asked curiously.  
  
"They're doing well. Delilah's almost finished with her schooling, and Aaron's being a terror as usual, Dumbledore answered proudly as he looked his associate.  
  
"That's excellent," Professor McGonagall said, giving him a small smile. She liked hearing how Delilah and Aaron were getting on with their lives. She felt as if they were one of her own.  
  
"Have you found a teacher for the Muggle Studies class?" she asked when she saw the stack of parchment near his elbow.  
  
Sighing, Dumbledore shook his head. "No. While all of these applications are all fully qualified, none of them seem right."  
  
Nodding, Professor McGonagall paused for a minute, then spoke. "Professor, I do have a suggestion."  
  
"Ok," he said, nodding for her to continue.  
  
"What about asking Delilah?"  
  
"Delilah?"  
  
"Yes," Professor McGonagall answered. "She seems qualified, and would have the experience and knowledge needed for the post.  
  
"I never thought of that," Dumbledore murmured as he drummed his fingers on his desk. "Now that you mention it, I believe that would make an excellent decision. I'll ask her. Thank you."  
  
Dumbledore quickly scratched out a note on a small piece of parchment. "Please owl this out immediately. I'll be leaving in the morning. As soon as I find something out, I'll owl you the news."  
  
"Very well," she said, taking the note he held out to her. "Have a nice trip."  
  
He thanked her, and she left quickly.  
  
Dumbledore stood and walked over to another table. Sitting on the table were various stacks of parchments and envelopes. After searching through the stacks, he pulled one out and stuck it into his cloak pocket. Then he left the room, the lights extinguishing as he left. 


	2. Hogwart's Gets A Teacher

Chapter One  
  
Hogwarts Gets A New Teacher  
  
"Delilah, it's time to leave," a male voice called up the stairs.  
  
A door opened slightly, and another voice called out. "I'll be down in a second, Pappy."  
  
A short time later the door opened further. Out walked a young woman, thirty years old. She was an attractive woman with long brown hair and piercing brown eyes, although not in the traditional sense. There was something about her that caused most people to step back and take another glance at her. It must have been her determination to make things happen in her life, or that she always tried to do the best she can. No one was completely sure. Going down the stairs, she reached the bottom where an older gentleman stood before her.  
  
"Delilah James," he said, a slight tone of scolding in his voice. "We were supposed to leave for the dance center five minutes ago. I thought you were ready."  
  
Smiling at him adoringly, she bent towards him to kiss him on his aged cheek. "Don't worry, Pappy. There's plenty of time. Besides, I was trying to finish up with my essay for class."  
  
Pappy, whose real name was Joshua, sighed softly and gave his granddaughter a smile of affection. Although he tried to act stern, he wasn't able to keep up the pretense for too long. He loved her very much, and would do anything he could for her or Aaron. When Delilah had owled him at Hogwarts telling him of her divorce from her husband of four years, he knew it was time to step down from his teaching in order to help her with three-year- old Aaron. From the time he'd left the school, he'd never had a moment of regret for making the decision.  
  
Brushing a lock of his peppery gray hair out of his eyes, he looked at his watch and stated, "We should be going. Where's Aaron?"  
  
"He should be in the backyard," she answered. With a gentle swish of her waist- length brown hair and another tug at her sleeve, she disappeared around him and into the kitchen.  
  
Soon, a bouncy boy of eleven hurried into the room, obviously sweaty from playing in the hot afternoon sun. Aaron was a happy, well-adjusted boy who looked very similar to his mother, and acted like her for the most part.  
  
"Wash up quickly. It's time to leave," Joshua said, still eyeing his watch.  
  
"I know, Pappy," Aaron stated, trying to act like he was being told nothing new. Turning around as he walked towards a nearby room, "Mom's already told me that."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Finally after much fuss and muss, everyone was ready to go. Heading out the door, Delilah was the first to see the two guests standing on their front stoop.  
  
"Dee!" she cried ecstatically as she wrapped her arms around the older gentleman before her. Ever since she was little bit of nothing, she'd called him Dee because she had trouble pronouncing his name. Even when she could say it, she still called him by her childhood nickname.  
  
"Ah, child," he said as he pulled away and looked her over. "It's good to see you again. You look wonderful. It's been too long."  
  
"It's good to see you, too," Delilah returned, squeezing his hands tightly before she let them go.  
  
"Welcome, Albus," Joshua stated, holding his hand out towards his long time friend. While shaking hands with his dear friend, Joshua saw another face he knew. "Ah, Severus. How are you doing?"  
  
"I'm doing well," Severus Snape answered, no emotion showing on his face.  
  
"That's wonderful," Joshua said, smiling slightly. "Delilah, Aaron, this is an associate of mine from Hogwarts. Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master." The two both said their hellos, and Snape gave them a quick nod.  
  
"What are you doing here, Dee?" Delilah asked him curiously. While she was glad that he was there, he wasn't able to come as often as she liked. Usually, when he appeared out of the blue it was for a reason, not a spur- of-the-moment trip.  
  
"Did you forget? You asked me to come to your dance program," Dumbledore informed her and a happy grin followed. "I hope you don't mind that I brought Professor Snape along. I thought he might enjoy the show."  
  
Dumbledore whispered to her, chuckling slightly, "And between you, me and the lamppost, I say he needs to get out more. He spends too much time in that dungeon of his."  
  
Delilah said out loud, "I don't mind that he came. After all, the more the merrier."  
  
When Joshua saw how late it was getting, he muttered something slightly off- color under his breath, and informed them, "I hate to break up this party, but we should really be going."  
  
Joshua ushered them all out into the yard, and they walked over Delilah's white Geo Prism. When Severus saw Delilah's car, he stopped and asked, stunned, "We're going in that? I thought we were going by Floo Powder."  
  
"Sorry, Professor Snape," Delilah apologized. Then chuckled out loud, "We can't go by Flour Power. There aren't any fireplaces at the dance center."  
  
"Flour Power!" Severus repeated with a look of a mixture of disgust and exasperation.  
  
"Besides, we would be appearing before too many Muggles to use magic," Joshua continued with the explanation. Even though he'd been away from the magic world for a while, he still considered non-magic folk Muggles. Some habits were just hard to break.  
  
During Voldemort's reign of terror, Delilah's parents fled for the States to escape. From that time on, they lived Muggle lives, and Delilah was raised that way. It wasn't until she was eleven that learned about her heritage. Even though she had no powers, she enjoyed the magic world, especially her grandfather who let her visit him at Hogwarts every now and then.  
  
"This is the easiest way for us to travel. Anyway, we're not asking you to drive," Joshua informed Severus.  
  
"I wouldn't want to drive this thing anyway," Severus stated, gritting his jaw tightly. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Twenty minutes later, the group of five arrived at the dance center and was immediately immersed in the mass of people. After they arrived, Delilah left them so she could get ready for the show. The others would be getting their tickets, and then their seats.  
  
As they walked into the auditorium, they were assaulted with the noise of what seemed like a million people talking at once. There were kids screaming with impatience, and some adults grumbling with irritation. Finding their seats proved to be a little bit more difficult than they'd expected.  
  
Once they were settled, Joshua and Aaron looked at their programs so they could see what else was going on during the show. They were so wrapped up in their reading that they didn't notice the little conversation going on between Dumbledore and Severus.  
  
"I don't see why I had to come along," Severus grumbled as he shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. "I could be back at Hogwarts working on next year's lesson plans."  
  
"You came because I asked you to," Dumbledore said as he thumbed through his own program. "Besides, there's no reason you can't get out once in a while. You spend too much time working, and not enough time enjoying life. There's plenty of time to get those plans together before the students return to school, and you know it. It won't hurt you to breathe the fresh air instead of locking yourself away in that dank, musty dungeon."  
  
Severus was going to make some kind of retort, but the lights flickered slightly and went out, indicating that the show was about to begin. Severus was just going to have to sit back and watch the show like a good little boy. Muttering to himself, he hunched his shoulders and reluctantly kept his eyes on the stage.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Half an hour later, it was time for Delilah's performance. It was simple dance routine done with a group of her friends at the dance center. This was a fun song for them to do, and they loved doing it.  
  
As the group entered the stage, the lights lowered to dim as they got situated. Then a soft voice broke through them dim as the performance started.  
  
Well she seemed all right by dawns early light  
  
Though she looked a little worried and weak  
  
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again  
  
But daddy left the proof on her cheek  
  
And I was only eight years old that summer  
  
And I always seemed to be in the way  
  
So I took myself down to the fair in town  
  
On Independence Day  
  
Well word gets around in a small, small town  
  
They said he was a dangerous man  
  
But mama was proud and she stood her ground  
  
She knew she was on the losin' end  
  
Some folks whispered and some folks talked  
  
But everybody looked the other way  
  
And when time ran out there was no one about  
  
On Independence Day  
  
Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing  
  
Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning  
  
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong  
  
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay it's Independence Day  
  
Well she lit up the sky that fourth of July  
  
By the time that the firemen come  
  
They just put out the flames, and took down some names  
  
And sent me to the county home  
  
Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong  
  
But maybe its the only way  
  
Talk about your revolution  
  
It's Independence Day  
  
Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing  
  
Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning  
  
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong  
  
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay it's Independence Day  
  
Roll the stone away  
  
It's Independence day  
  
As the performance finished, the lights flooded the auditorium. The audience applauded as the performers bowed in return. It looked like everyone liked the show, but it was difficult to tell sometimes. Waving to the people as they turned, the performers left the stage, disappearing behind the stage curtain  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A short time later, Delilah appeared outside the dressing room to find Joshua, Aaron, Dumbledore and Severus waiting for her. As she approached them, everyone applauded and told her their opinions, except for Severus. He just stood there watching everything.  
  
"So you really liked it?" Delilah asked as she grinned broadly.  
  
"It was the best, Delilah," Dumbledore stated. Then he went on to say, "It was much better than your Christmas show last year."  
  
Delilah blushed with embarrassment because during that show she'd misjudged her distance and fell off the stage. This caused her to break her leg and had to sit out of dance class for quite a while until it healed. Now she was more careful during her performances.  
  
She got the same kind of answers from Aaron and Joshua. They thought this was her best show ever. Even though these praises were nothing new, it was still nice to hear that she was doing a good job. It just made her work all the harder on her next project.  
  
Looking around, she'd noticed that she hadn't heard from Severus. "Professor Snape?" She asked, drawing his reluctant attention. "What did you think of the show?"  
  
There was a pause before he looked up to answer it. With a slightly clenched jaw, he muttered, "It was acceptable."  
  
Looking perplexed, Delilah just stared at him when she received his answer. Not quite sure what to say, she said, "Thanks, I think."  
  
"Why don't we go celebrate?" Joshua announced before anything more could happen.  
  
"Joshua, how about later?" Dumbledore suggested as he placed his hand on Joshua's shoulder. "I have something important I need to talk with Delilah about."  
  
Joshua looked at his old friend, and it was as if he could read his mind. Nodding, Joshua said, "Ok. We'll do Elixir's later. Maybe after you're finished."  
  
"Good."  
  
Delilah's gaze switched between Dumbledore and Joshua. 'What could be so important for Dee to come and see me personally? I wonder if Pappy knows about it.' she wondered.  
  
The five left the center, and returned to the house.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When the group had returned to the house and was sitting in the living room, it was time to hear what Dumbledore had to say.  
  
"What is it, Dee? What did you have to talk to me about?" Delilah asked, sitting anxiously in her seat, looking at Dumbledore, only quieting when he held up his hand so he could speak.  
  
"I'm asking you to consider the position of Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts," Dumbledore told her.  
  
"Really? I would love to. Thank you," she accepted, clasping her hands together happily. She's always wanted to do something there, but Joshua had told her that only wizard folk were offered jobs there. That thought reminded her that she wasn't a witch. "But I thought only witches or wizards were allowed to teacher at Hogwarts?"  
  
"That's how it's supposed to be," Severus muttered, just loud enough for only her to hear.  
  
That comment came close to getting her angry. She didn't like it when people made fun of her or any of her family. Before she could say a word to Severus, Dumbledore distracted her by saying, "Usually they are, but I want to try a different approach this year with the Muggle Studies students. Instead of just learning about the society here, they should experience it."  
  
"What do you mean?" Delilah asked as Dumbledore paused for a brief moment.  
  
"Although not too many of the witches and wizards leave the wizarding world, those who do should be prepared. If they know the lay of the land, so to speak, then they'll be able to take care of themselves and not be perceived as different."  
  
"Sounds like it could work," Delilah murmured quietly, rubbing her jaw with her hand. Then she asked, "I'll take the job. I would just like to know, why me?"  
  
"Because I trust you, and know that you'd teach these students as best as you can. Besides, can you see me doing a search for teachers here? If they heard what they'd be doing, they'd think I was off my rocker," Dumbledore clarified to her.  
  
"They would think you were on the peculiar side," Delilah agreed, giving him an infectious smile. Dumbledore grinned back at her.  
  
A thought dawned on Delilah as she remembered something. "Wait, Dee. What about Aaron? I can't leave him here by himself. He still has school."  
  
"I won't be by myself," Aaron informed her. "I'll be with Pappy. He can take care of me."  
  
"No, you won't," Dumbledore disagreed with Aaron. "You'll be going with your mother if she agrees."  
  
"What do you mean 'if I agree?'" Delilah asked, confused.  
  
"Here, read this first. This will explain everything," Dumbledore suggested as he pulled an envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to Aaron.  
  
Aaron gripped the letter and looked at it tentatively. It was addressed to him. Opening the envelope, he pulled out the parchment and started to read:  
  
Dear Mr. James We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
  
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress  
  
"Mom, what does this mean?" Aaron asked her, handing her the letter.  
  
"This means that you've been accepted at Hogwarts. That's where Pappy taught before he retired," she explained as she skimmed over the letter herself.  
  
"Hogwarts? Really?" Aaron asked, excitement twinkling in his eyes. "Can I go? Please?"  
  
Aaron had heard stories about Hogwarts from as far back as he could remember. He enjoyed hearing the stories, even if he'd heard them a hundred times over. They seemed like it got better each time. Now he would get a chance to experience it himself. This was a chance of a lifetime.  
  
"What do you think, Pappy?" Delilah asked him. She was more than willing to let him go since she'd be there to keep an eye on him. She just wanted his opinion before she gave Aaron an answer.  
  
"I think it would be a great opportunity for him. He should take this chance, and it sounds like he wants to go," he smiled at Aaron. "Besides, you're going to be around to make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."  
  
"That's what I was thinking," Delilah agreed. Smiling at her son, she stated, "Yes, you can attend Hogwarts."  
  
"All right!" Aaron cried happily as he hugged her tightly.  
  
"Now that that's all settled," Dumbledore muttered as he patted down his cloak as if searching for something. Then, he held up his finger as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. Pulling open his cloak, he reached inside and pulled out another envelope, somewhat bigger than the one he'd given Aaron. "This will tell you everything you need to know about Hogwarts, and such."  
  
"Thank you," Delilah said as she took the envelope in hand. It was thick, and somewhat heavy.  
  
"We should be going," Dumbledore informed them. He held up his hand to stop Delilah's protests about staying for supper. "I'm sorry we can't stay. We should get back to the castle before nightfall."  
  
"I understand," Delilah murmured reluctantly. It wasn't often that she got to see her Dee so she didn't want to see him leave so soon. However, there was one consolation. She'd get to see more of him now that she'd be teaching at Hogwarts.  
  
Dumbledore just nodded to show he understood her reluctance. He hated leaving so soon, but it was not wise to travel after nightfall especially since it was not safe during some areas of their journey. "Don't worry," he said, trying to make her feel better. "We'll be seeing each other again. In just a couple short months, you and Aaron will be arriving at Hogwarts." Delilah nodded her agreement, and she smiled at him.  
  
With that, Dumbledore and Severus had to leave. Delilah, Aaron and Joshua walked them to the door and watched as they disappeared in the early dusk hours. 


	3. Arriving in Diagon Alley

Chapter Two  
  
Arriving in Diagon Alley  
  
~*~*~Two Months Later~*~*~  
  
Time had passed, and it was now a week before Aaron and Delilah were supposed to leave for Hogwarts. They were going to make a stop in Diagon Alley to pick up anything they were going to need. For now, they were just packing what they could from home.  
  
It was going to be hard to leave. Joshua had been her biggest help for the last eight years, and it was going to take some time not getting to see him everyday. They'd made plans for him to come visit for Christmas. That was a time to look forward to.  
  
Later that day, Joshua drove them to the airport. When it came time for Delilah and Aaron to board their flight, they did quick goodbyes since parting was hurting so much. Turning around quickly, Delilah and Aaron walked through the gateway, and Joshua waved goodbye behind them until he could no longer see them.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the plane took off and they were London bound.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
By the time Delilah and Aaron's flight reached London and they had gathered all their things, it was almost lunchtime. Each pushing a cart through the crowds of people, Aaron asked, "Do you know where we're going?"  
  
"Dee told me that we were to meet someone named Rubeus Hagrid. He'd be holding a sign with our names on it," Delilah answered as she scanned the crowd of people looking for the man they were supposed to meet.  
  
It took them five minutes of searching, but Delilah was finally able to find Rubeus Hagrid. When she saw him, she covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped at the sight of him. He towered over the people who were rushing by them, who stared at him as they went passed. Delilah noticed that the man looked uneasy for some reason, as if he'd never been in an airport before.  
  
Hagrid was a big man, who stood at least three feet above the tallest man possible, and everything else about him was.well, the only word that came to Delilah's mind was big. In his hands, he was holding a piece of parchment with their names on them: "Daliela James & Aran James."  
  
"Rubeus Hagrid?" Delilah asked him when they'd come closer. She thought she saw him grin through his thick beard, but it was difficult to tell.  
  
"That's me. Yeh must be Delilah an' Aaron James," he said while he rolled up the parchment and placed it in his pocket. "Ah was beginning teh think something happened to yeh."  
  
"Sorry, it takes a while to get through customs, Mr. Hagrid," Delilah explained.  
  
"Please, it's Hagrid," he offered holding out his hand to shake hands with her, which seemed to engulf hers.  
  
Staring at Hagrid, Aaron commented out loud, "I didn't realize they had a Bigfoot in London."  
  
Hagrid chuckled as Delilah admonished Aaron, "Aaron that was rude. Now apologize."  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hagrid," Aaron mumbled, not sure what was so bad about what he said. He was just being honest. His Grand-Pappy had taught him to be honest with people.  
  
"It's all right, Delilah. Ah don't mind bein' called, what'd yeh say, a Bigfoot?" He assured her, grinning through his thick massive beard. "Hmm, never been called that. Ah like it!"  
  
"And yeh can call me Hagrid, too," Hagrid mentioned, patting Aaron on the shoulder. Aaron winced slightly because Hagrid's gentle patting hurt quite a bit.  
  
Aaron grinned a little since Hagrid wasn't going to be mad about his comment. Delilah still wasn't so sure. She didn't like it when people were called rude names, even when the person liked it. It just didn't seem right.  
  
"We should be goin' though. There's lots teh do before we meet the train fer Hogwarts."  
  
"Like what?" Aaron asked curiously they followed Hagrid through the crowds. "I thought we had everything we needed."  
  
"Maybe, but yeh don't have all your school supplies," Hagrid pointed out. By this time, they were standing outside in front of the airport. Waiting by the curb was a big fire engine red Ford truck.  
  
"We're taking a truck?" Aaron commented as Hagrid started to load their luggage into the bed. "I thought we were taking a train to get to the school."  
  
"We are," Hagrid answered firmly. He quickly loaded up the last trunks, then handing the two pet carriers to Delilah and Aaron. "These two won't be safe riding in the back."  
  
In Delilah's carrier was her calico cat named Tequila. They were allowed to have cats at Hogwarts, and she didn't want to leave her behind. Tequila had been her cat since she'd been married and had been the last present her ex-husband had bought for her before things started getting ugly. Besides Aaron, her cat was one of two things to come out of the marriage.  
  
There was some quiet squawking coming from Aaron's carrier. Inside was a bushy brown owl that looked like a flying feather duster. The owl's name was Gypsy. No one could figure out where Aaron had gotten that name, but that's what he wanted to call him. Joshua had bought it for him before they left for London.  
  
Kneeling down before him, Hagrid told him, "Now teh answer yeh question. Yes, we are taking the train teh get teh the school, but this is the easiest way for us teh get to King's Cross station without being too obvious."  
  
"Guess I didn't think of that," Aaron said, feeling a little bit sheepish.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it," Hagrid said, giving the boy a smile. "S'all right."  
  
Just then, a muffled dinging was heard from Hagrid's pocket. He fumbled around in it until he pulled something out. It was a silver pocket watch. "Blimey, we're late. Best be going." He gestured for them to hop into the truck. Circling around the front, he got in the driver's side.  
  
While Delilah and Aaron were getting in on their side, she heard Aaron quietly singing, "I'm late. I'm late for a very important date."  
  
"Aaron, be quiet," she shushed him, hoping Hagrid hadn't heard him, although she couldn't help smiling herself.  
  
The inside of the truck was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. From the outside, it looked normal as can be. The inside was a totally different story. There was enough room for Hagrid's large form, plus room to spare.  
  
"This is bigger than it looks," Delilah commented as she and Aaron put on their seat belts.  
  
"It's magic," Hagrid simply explained as he started up the ignition, the engine roaring to life.  
  
This said Hagrid maneuvered his way into traffic like a pro. Quickly, they drove through the streets of London. There wasn't much time for them to dilly-dally.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Thirty minutes later, Hagrid stopped in front of a murky looking tavern. There was a sign over the door that read, 'Leaky Cauldron.' It looked like it had seen better days gone by. People were rushing by it without a sideward glance that Delilah wondered if they even saw it. Following Hagrid's example, she and Aaron both got out of the vehicle, and stood in front of the building.  
  
"Why are we here?" Aaron asked cautiously as he tried to stay out of the way of the passing people, who didn't seem to see him.  
  
"I'll tell yeh once we get inside the tavern," Hagrid told him as he unloaded their things onto the sidewalk. A few minutes later everything was finally sitting at their feet in a heaping pile. Hagrid used his pink umbrella to make a small circle and tapped the pile. In the wink of an eye, the heaping pile shrunk small enough to fit in the palm of Hagrid's hand.  
  
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone 'bout that," he asked as he placed their luggage in his pocket. "I'm not really supposed teh be using magic." Without a hesitation, they both nodded in agreement.  
  
Gesturing to them to them, "Let's step inside. I'll explain things once we're settled." Approaching the tavern, Hagrid opened the door for them, and they all went in.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When they were inside, Delilah was surprised by its appearance. It was very dark, and quite grubby. There were a few people sitting up at the bar, each sipping from a glass. Tables were settled throughout the room, a few of them occupied by people deep in conversation.  
  
"Are ya having the usual today, Hagrid?" the bartender asked as he grabbed for a glass that sat on the shelf behind him.  
  
"Not today, Tom," Hagrid said as he placed his hand on Aaron's shoulder. "Ah'm here on Hogwarts business today." Tom nodded and started to dry some glasses that were sitting in front of him.  
  
Hagrid let them through the room until they walked out the back door and stopped in the courtyard where an old brick wall stood before them. As they watched Hagrid tap it with his umbrella, Delilah asked him, "Hagrid, why did it seem like no one noticed you shrinking our luggage?"  
  
"It's 'cause there's a veil of invisibility surrounding the front of the Leaky Cauldron. That way Muggle folk don't wander inteh the Wizarding world," he explained when he'd finished tapping the wall. "If they knew 'bout our world, they'd want teh get magic solutions fer all their problems. It's best if we keep teh ourselves."  
  
The moment Hagrid had finished tapping the brick wall, and it started to vibrate. The individual bricks started to separate, causing a hole to appear in the middle of the wall. It only took a few minutes until they'd separated enough to become two separate pillars with a doorway in the middle.  
  
Each taking a step between the pillars, Aaron and Delilah were immersed in new and interesting sights and sounds. There were people rushing here and there, their arms bundled down with bags and packages of very shapes and sizes. Also, there were shops that sold anything a witch or wizard would ever need. A woman with silvery blond hair was leaving a shop that sold broomstick, and she was murmured, "Finally, the prices for racing rooms have gone down. Draco has got to cut down on his late night jaunts."  
  
"Where to first?" Delilah asked as they walked down the street.  
  
"Deh yeh have yeh wizarding money on yeh?" Hagrid asked as they passed a shop that sold various types of robes and other clothing.  
  
"Right here," Delilah answered, patting the side pocket of her handbag. Professor Dumbledore had given her enough money to help her get the things they would need for school. At first she protested, but he told her to think of it as congratulatory present to them.  
  
"Good. Now we just need Aaron's letter," Hagrid said, grinning as Aaron pulled out of his pocket saying, "Here it is."  
  
"What shall we go for first, Aaron?" Delilah asked him as she watched him unfold the pages of parchment. "Your choice."  
  
"My choice? Ok, let's see," he muttered as he looked over his list of school supplies. "Let's get my wand first."  
  
"All right," Delilah agreed and she looked down the street for what they were looking for. She looked back at Hagrid when he mentioned, "Mr. Ollivanders is the place yeh'll be wanting. Bin selling the best wands fer years."  
  
They approached a shop that was narrow and shabby. It was a shop that would have been closed down in the Muggle world, but not in Diagon Alley. Various people were going in and out the front door, which had a sign hanging over it. It read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.  
  
Delilah and Aaron started to enter the shop as Hagrid mentioned, "Ah'm just going teh make a stop at The Leaky Cauldron. I'll meet yeh back here in a bit."  
  
"All right," Delilah said, and they walked into the shop.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When the two entered the shop, they were instantly immersed with sights they'd never seen before. There were stacks of small boxes as high as the eye could see. It was odd to see that many boxes in a shop as small at Mr. Ollivander's, but it seemed like there was still lots of room to spare. Delilah and Aaron strolled around looking, but not touching, even though they wanted to so much.  
  
It'd been no more than a few minutes when they heard the quiet approach of footsteps behind them. Both turning at the same time, Delilah and Aaron met a tall man who looked as old at the shop, but he looked as wise as can be. He was smiling gently at them as if he was happy to see them.  
  
"Ah, Aaron and Delilah, welcome. I've been expecting you," he told them as he tapped his fingers slowly together. "I'm Mr. Ollivander."  
  
"Expecting us?" Delilah questioned, not sure what he meant by that. "How did you know we were coming?"  
  
Mr. Ollivander just tapped his head and acknowledged, "I just know these things. Besides I get a list of new Hogwarts students each year."  
  
Delilah and Aaron nodded in understanding, although it was only slightly. Before they knew it, Mr. Ollivander was measuring Aaron. Once that was completed, the old man started pulling out various wands for Aaron to experiment with. It didn't seem like a complicated task so Delilah just stepped back and let Aaron do his stuff.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
About thirty minutes later, Aaron found the want that suited him. Or better yet, the wand found Aaron. The wand was thirteen inches and made of birch wood with a unicorn hair for its center. Aaron was glad the process was over since it seemed like it was going to go on forever.  
  
Delilah was up at Mr. Ollivander's desk paying for the wand when the door opened, letting in three adolescents of eighteen. There were two boys and a girl. The girl had slightly bushy hair and knowledgeable eyes. It was almost as if she had the answers to all the world's problems. As the door closed behind them, she opened up her bag, and placed a thick book inside.  
  
One of the boys had auburn red hair with a mischievous look to him. There was a possibility he was the one trouble liked to find. Even though they looked like they'd be taken care of, the boy's clothing was looking rough from wear. In his hands, he was sorting though a small pile wizarding cards as Delilah heard him mumble, "Where's my Gryffindor card? I just got it and now I can't find it."  
  
Then the girl sighed and wondered to him, "Ron, I can't believe you brought those along. Those cards are so childish. I thought you left them at home."  
  
"I was going to, but Seamus sent me an owl saying he found some cards that I've been looking for," the boy, whose name was apparently Ron explained to the girl. "We're going to go through them while on the train to school."  
  
The girl just shrugged her shoulders and mumbled, "Whatever."  
  
The other boy, who'd remained quiet through this confrontation, had scraggily black hair that stuck up all over the place. He seemed to be a kind boy, but there was some mischief in him too. The most distinguishing feature was the lightning bolt scar barely visible under his fringe. It was very unusual to say the least. Delilah had heard enough mentions to know that this young man was the famous Harry Potter, the boy who had survived an attack from the once powerful Lord Voldemort. Harry just looked at the girl, grinned and suggested, "Lighten up, Hermione. Collecting wizard cards is no more childish than your Barbie dolls."  
  
The girl named Hermione blushed red as Ron's hair and looked away. All she could remember was the time Ron and Harry found her playing with her dolls when they'd come to pick her up for the trip to King's Cross Station the previous year. It was very embarrassing since she was supposed to be acting like a grownup.  
  
Delilah couldn't help smiling and offered her wisdom the three. "Don't give her such a rough time about the dolls. All girls should be able to play with dolls, even smart ones. Besides, just cause you're growing up doesn't mean you should be old at heart."  
  
The girl smiled as Ron and Harry just stood there and stared at Delilah. Their attention was diverted when Mr. Ollivander smiled at the group and asked, "What can I do for you three today?"  
  
"We came to get our wands cleaned," Hermione explained as the three drew their wands from the bags at their waists. "It's time for it again."  
  
"So it is," Mr. Ollivander agreed. "Let me finish up here, and I'll be right with you." The three nodded, and he returned to Delilah's purchase. Finishing up quickly, Mr. Ollivander gave her a note of payment and wished her and Aaron a good day. Gathering the three wands, Mr. Ollivander took them into the back for the cleaning.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After Mr. Ollivander left, Harry Potter noticed that Aaron was watching them intently. He waved at Aaron, which caused him to blush and look away since he'd been told many times not to stare.  
  
Harry walked over and asked, "Are you new to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yes," Aaron answered as he saw Hermione and Ron join Harry. Then he directed the question to all three, "Do you go there also?"  
  
"I definitely do," Harry replied, and Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement. "This is our seventh year. My name is Harry Potter, and these two are Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. What's yours?"  
  
"Aaron James," he stated, and then indicating his mother. "This is my mom. She's going to be teaching there."  
  
"Really?" Hermione inquired, quite intrigued. "What will you be teaching?"  
  
"Well, isn't it obvious what she's teaching?" Ron asked the two. They both shook their heads since they didn't have any idea. Sighing, he told them, "It's got to be Defense Against the Dark Arts. It's the only job open.at least that's what it was when school was finished last year."  
  
"Is that right?" Harry asked her, looking doubtful. They'd never had a woman Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.  
  
"Actually, I'm not," Delilah answered, getting a bewildered look from all three. "I'm teaching Muggle Studies."  
  
"What happened to Professor Dipstick?" Ron asked.  
  
"He won the Wizard Lottery, remember?" Hermione answered as she shot him a glare. "It was reported in all the wizard papers."  
  
"Oh," Ron sheepishly said, his ears slightly turning pink. "I forgot. Besides, I don't read the papers all that often."  
  
"Don't feel so bad. I didn't know about it till Professor Dumbledore told me. They don't get the wizarding news in Florida."  
  
"Florida? Why weren't you living in Europe? That's where most wizards live anyway," Ron wondered.  
  
"But I'm not a wizard. I'm a Muggle."  
  
The three stared at her in pure surprise. They'd never heard of a Muggle teaching at Hogwarts, usually the teachers were wizards. "Well.if you're not a wizard, how are you going to be a teacher?" Hermione asked carefully, trying not to sound insulting.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore is my godfather, and when Professor Dipstick decided to retire, Professor Dumbledore thought I had what was needed for the job," Delilah explained, then continued with, "I guess he must have some faith in me."  
  
"Professor Dumbledore is a good judge of character, even if he is a bit off at times," Harry said, grinning.  
  
"I agree," Delilah nodded. "He can be a real sweetheart, though."  
  
Ron and Harry broke into quiet chuckling while Hermione just stood there and glared at them. While Ron and Harry knew that Dumbledore was a wise man, they didn't think of him as a sweetheart. Hermione thought he was a good man.no matter how off he was. Sighing, Hermione just shook her head at she asked Delilah, "Well, since you're a Muggle, how are you going to bypass the Anti-Muggle booby traps?"  
  
"Dumbledore wasn't sure what would happen to me when I tried go through the barrier at the station, so he's sending a teacher to travel with me. If there are any problems, the teacher can put the necessary spell on me," Delilah explained carefully so they'd not misunderstand. "Besides, I may have been raised Muggle, but I was born into a wizarding family. Hopefully there won't be too many problems."  
  
At this time, the door was pushed opened by Hagrid. He was carrying the remains of something in a big, which he put into his pocket. Greeting Harry, Ron and Hermione, Hagrid then asked Aaron, "Did yeh get your wand?"  
  
"Yup," Aaron replied, grinning from ear to ear as he showed the wand to him. "Look at it, all nice and shiny."  
  
"It's a beauty," Hagrid agreed wholeheartedly. "It'll do yeh proud."  
  
"We were on our way out when we started talking with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Lost track of time," Delilah explained quickly.  
  
"That's alright," Hagrid motioned for her to forget it. "Although if you're going to meet the train early tomorrow, we'd best get a hurry on."  
  
Agreeing with Hagrid, Delilah turned to the three before her and said, "Aaron and I should be going. There are still some things that Aaron needs to get, and Professor Dumbledore suggested I look at some things I might want to use for my teaching. I'll see you later at school though."  
  
The three agreed and said their goodbyes. Everyone waved as they departed, walking out into the busy streets of Diagon Alley.  
  
Four hours later, Delilah finally marked off the last item on Aaron's list. Everything was finally done, and they were exhausted, shopping can take a lot out of a person. The only one who wasn't tired was Hagrid, who seemed to have endless energy. It must be because of his size.  
  
Hagrid left them at the Leaky Cauldron where they had a room. He promised to be there to pick them up at nine o'clock to take them to the station. Not long after they arrived, Delilah and Aaron were ready for bed, and fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At nine o'clock, Hagrid was there are promised. Gathering all of their belongings, Hagrid, Delilah and Aaron piled back into the red Ford and headed through the late morning traffic to King's Cross Station.  
  
Everything went like it normally would: they arrived at the station, loaded all the luggage, including the cat and owl, onto a trolley and headed into the somewhat crowded train station. By the time the small group arrived at platforms nine and ten, it was ten-thirty and time was growing short. Aaron and Delilah's train left at eleven, and they didn't want to be late.  
  
Delilah was about to mention the time when she saw Professor Snape waiting for them by the platform signs. He was wearing an all black outfit, but Delilah could tell the outfit was outdated. Snape must not get out into the real world all that often. That outfit has to be at least ten years old,' she thought with a slight grin.  
  
"Professor Snape, good morning," Delilah greeted him with a smile when they were closer to him. "It's good of you to meet me here."  
  
"Well, Professor Dumbledore asked me to come here, and I'm doing it as a favour to him," Snape stated firmly so that she'd have no question about his intentions.  
  
"Well, I appreciate that you're meeting me all the same. Professor Dumbledore definitely chose the right person.at least from what my grandfather has told me about you," she told him, offering him another smile.  
  
This stopped Snape's next retort. He'd never realized how highly her grandfather thought of him. 'All the times I've wanted to get a praise from that man, even when he was my teacher, and now I found it,' he mulled over in his mind.  
  
"Blimey, look at the time. Professors, you should be getting on the train. It leaves in twenty minutes," Hagrid reminded them, indicating his watch.  
  
"I know what time it is, Hagrid," Snape retorted. "Now go away."  
  
"Just a friendly suggestion after all. That train doesn't wait for latecomers," Hagrid pointed out. "You should know that from experience."  
  
Snape's ears turned a light shade of red, and then quickly disappeared as he said, "Alright, we're going."  
  
Snape first looked at Delilah, then turned to retort something at Hagrid, but found that he was gone. Grumbling, Snape looked at her and asked her, "Of all the powers they let him use, why did they have to let him Apparate?"  
  
Grinning, she said in a high-pitched, annoying voice, "Because he's so special."  
  
Even though Snape was usually so grim, he couldn't help but chuckle at that. Shaking his head, he muttered softly, "Oh no, not another Pollyanna."  
  
Snape shook his head again, and motioned for Delilah and Aaron to go over to barrier. When Snape was about to explain things, Delilah suggested, "Why doesn't Aaron run through first? It'll work for him. Then, I'll go. If there are any problems it shouldn't be to difficult to fix."  
  
"Fine, whatever," he grumbled, begrudgingly. Indicating the barrier, Snape told Aaron, "All you have to do is go straight at the wall. Some people run, some people walk, and some people just fall through the wall. I don't care. Just go."  
  
Aaron just shook his head as Snape looked at the barrier. "Well, you're a lot of help," Aaron told him, sent him a loud raspberry and took off for the barrier.stepping on Snape's foot in the process.  
  
As Snape grabbed his foot, massaging the hurt, Aaron disappeared through the wall. "Why that little." Snape said through his clutched teeth. Though he wanted to say something else, but seeing Delilah he changed it to "that little angel."  
  
Barely restraining her laughter, Delilah asked him, "So you like him too?"  
  
"Just step up to the barrier," he said as he unclenched his teeth. "The train will be leaving soon."  
  
Delilah walked up to the barrier, eyed it uncertainly as she examined it closely. "Just lean against it casually, and you should go right through. If it doesn't work, we'll do something else."  
  
Stepping up the wall, she leaned against it and felt herself fall right through. Stumbling through the wall she arrived on the other side. She saw the train that read 'Hogwarts Express' on the side, billowing steam from its funnel. A second later she noticed Aaron grinning broadly at his accomplishment and smiled to herself. A second later, Snape appeared and Aaron grabbed his trolley, running for the loading dock.  
  
Delilah watched Aaron run off as Snape said, "I'll see you at the school tonight." Then instantly as he appeared, he disappeared with a pop. After everything was loaded up, she and Aaron found their seats on the train. As the train pulled out of the station at eleven o'clock, she started singing softly the Willie Nelson tune, "On the Road Again."  
  
On the road again  
  
Just can't wait to get on the road again  
  
The life I love is makin' music with my friends  
  
And I can't wait to get on the road again  
  
On the road again  
  
Goin' places that I've never been  
  
Seein' things that I may never see again,  
  
And I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again  
  
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway  
  
We're the best of friends  
  
Insisting that the world be turnin' our way  
  
And our way  
  
Is on the road again  
  
Just can't wait to get on the road again  
  
The life I love is makin' music with my friends  
  
And I can't wait to get on the road again On the road again  
  
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway  
  
We're the best of friends  
  
Insisting that the world be turnin' our way  
  
And our way  
  
Is on the road again  
  
Just can't wait to get on the road again  
  
The life I love is makin' music with my friends  
  
And I can't wait to get on the road again  
  
And I can't wait to get on the road again 


	4. A Past Revealed

Chapter Three  
  
A Past Revealed   
  
Three days later, Delilah was in her classroom, which was on the third floor on the east side of the castle. When she first was shown her room, she thought it was the best one she'd seen in a long time. There was a high ceiling, and lots of space for her to teach her classes. There were even two beautiful stained glassed windows, which were currently open to let in the afternoon summer air.   
  
At the moment she was decorating the walls. Scattered in various places were movie posters, news articles, book titles and more. Delilah figured if she was going to teach her students about the Muggle world, and things in it, she thought they'd benefit by seeing what they needed to see. It would be difficult to explain a thing like a car or stoplight to someone who had never seen one before. That'd be like trying to describe the color red to a blind person.   
  
Another thing she wanted to share with her pupils was the music. She'd been able to get Professor Dumbledore to place a charm around her rooms so her Muggle items would work in the wizarding world. With all the magic that was flying through the air, the circuitry would have gone haywire if they'd tried to use it without the charm. With a tape deck, radio, and CD player, her students could hear the sounds of her world and Delilah wouldn't miss things from home.   
  
One thing Dumbledore did emphasize, after he'd charmed the room, is that none of the other students be disturbed during classes. To solve this problem, Professor Flitwick also placed a charm over the room to make it soundproof. It would be so airtight that Delilah could have the door propped open, and no one would hear a sound from the room.   
  
"Finally," she stated loudly. "I'm done. It's about time."   
  
Stepping back and gazing around, she brushed off a stray dust bunny while admiring the scene. Chuckling to herself she murmured quietly, "And just in time too. The students are arriving in three hours."   
  
About this time Aaron wandered in looking a bit gloomy. Upon seeing him, Delilah strolled over, placed her arm around his shoulders and asked, "You're not still brooding, are you?"   
  
"Why can't I share your rooms with you? I'm sure that Dee wouldn't mind," Aaron inquired in a pleading type of voice.   
  
"I know Dee wouldn't mind. He wants families to stay together," she told him, squeezing him gently in hopes of reassuring him. "It's just that it's a tradition that students be sorted into one of the houses. Besides, you'll have a better time if you live there than with me."   
  
"But the kids will hate me," he protested.   
  
"No they won't, and you just remember one thing," she told him as she turned him to face her. Once she was looking at him in the eye, she went on, "The only person who's hurt by the hating is the person doing the hate."   
  
"I know, I know," he muttered as if she'd told him this numerous times.   
  
"That's my boy," she smiled at him. "Besides, you can come see me whenever you need to."   
  
"Alright," Aaron reluctantly said, although it seemed like he was looking a bit happier. It was hard to tell at times  
  
Looking at her watch Delilah saw the time was growing short before the students would be arriving. She and Aaron had better hurry. "Come on. Time to get dressed."   
  
Agreeing, Aaron followed her out of the room and walked down the hallway. A few minutes later, they arrived at the common room, the door covered with a painting of two women in puffy pink dresses: one older, and one younger. When they saw Delilah, the younger one inquired, "Password?" Before Delilah could give the answer, Aaron told her, "I like what you did to the classroom. I just hope everyone else does."   
  
"We'll just have to find out tomorrow," Delilah answered with a grin. Saying the word 'Titanic' the painting swung open, and in the two went. Once they were inside, the painting silently shut behind them.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
While Delilah was getting dressed, thoughts of the last few days popped into her head, especially her arrival at the castle. Even though she didn't really want to think about it images wouldn't leave her mind.   
  
***FLASHBACK***   
  
Arriving at the castle, Delilah and Aaron were met by only Professor McGonagall. She smiled at them as they stepped out of their carriage, "Welcome back to Hogwarts," she said to them, hugging them in turn.   
  
"Thanks for meeting us Minerva," Delilah greeted her happily.   
  
"Thanks for meeting us, Professor McGonagall," Aaron repeated, giving her one of his special smiles.   
  
"You can call me Minerva," she told him, leaning towards him as if telling him a secret. "Just make sure to call me Professor in front of the other students. Don't want to make them think you're special."   
  
"But I am special," Aaron stated firmly.   
  
"That you are," Professor McGonagall agreed as she ruffled his hair. "That you are."   
  
Looking around the grounds, Delilah stated as she walked around a bit, "This place hasn't changed one bit. I don't think I've been here since before I married Derrick."   
  
"Why didn't you come?" Professor McGonagall asked her curiously. "You know you were always welcome, even Derrick was."  
  
Delilah noticed that Professor McGonagall said that last bit of her sentence as if it were an afterthought. Before Delilah said another word, she told Aaron, "Why don't you go play down at the lake for a bit before we go in?"   
  
"Alright mom." Aaron agreed and went tearing down the lawn.   
  
"And be sure to watch out for the giant squid that lives in the lake," called Professor McGonagall, just as Aaron got out of sight.   
  
Once Aaron was out of earshot, Delilah explained, "I would have come, but Derrick didn't want us to. It's not like I could disobey him. His profession didn't allow me to."   
  
"You never did tell us what he did," Professor McGonagall wondered. "What kind of job could he have that could possibly keep you away from your family?"   
  
"He was a part of the New Jersey mob," she told her. When Delilah saw the look of confusion on Professor McGonagall's face, Delilah explained further, "His job was similar to what the Death Eaters did."   
  
Shivering at the mention of Voldemort's followers, Professor McGonagall asked, "If you knew this was what Derrick did, then why did you marry him?"   
  
"I didn't know that until after I married him, and then I didn't find out for three years. He appeared to be everything a girl could want in a man: sweet, kind, generous, and good-looking. It just didn't seem like he'd be the type of person who was into a mysterious lifestyle.   
  
"It was on Aaron's third birthday. We were going to have a party, presents, balloons, the whole thing. Aaron seemed to know what was going on, and he kept asking us, 'When's the party? When's the party?' He was a very smart child, even at that age. Finally, it was almost time for the party, and I'd gone up to Derrick's office to get him.but he wasn't there. It looked like he'd left in a rush since there were papers scattered all across the floor. I started to collect them, and occasionally I read bits of them.   
  
"What I found on them sent chills through my spine. There were records of dealings that Derrick had observed, and even participated in. These dealings were enough to make me want to grab Aaron and run. It was all I could do to stay composed."   
  
"When did you decide to leave him?" Professor McGonagall inquired quietly.   
  
"It was about two weeks later," Delilah responded, swallowing quietly as she remembered what happened. Walking a couple of steps away, she continued on, although it seemed her mind wasn't fully there. "Derrick came home drunk. I had just put Aaron down for the night, and was watching television in the living room."   
  
"We headed for bed. Just as we were about to get to sleep, Aaron woke up. Derrick didn't want me to go, he told me to just leave Aaron alone. When I refused, Derrick started to get violent and yelling things about how I never listened to him. He even started bellowing about things at work. It was then that I knew what I'd read on those papers were correct.   
  
"The next morning, I left the house with Aaron and filed for divorce. What's weird is that the divorce went easier than I thought it would. Derrick gave no fight whatsoever. After everything was said and done, Derrick disappeared and Aaron stayed with me. I haven't seen Derrick since."   
  
"I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way, but maybe it was for the best," Professor McGonagall said quietly. "That he left." "Yeah, maybe," Delilah agreed distantly. Sighing heavily, she looked towards Professor McGonagall and smiled, saying, "Well that was a long time ago. Best to be forgotten. Let's go inside."   
  
Glad to see she was smiling, Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's. It's almost time for dinner. Oh, by the way, we've put you in your old rooms, right on the third floor."   
  
"Great," Delilah smiled. "At least I won't get lost since I know where my room is."   
  
Calling out to Aaron, they all went into the castle as the night started to descend around them.   
  
***BACK TO THE PRESENT***   
  
Half an hour later, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Delilah met Hagrid. "Good evening, Professor James. Ah've come teh escort young Aaron down to teh boats. We've got to meet the new arrivals."   
  
"Alright, I'll get him," she told him, and left to go find Aaron. A few minutes later she returned with him, all dressed in his uniform. He looked very handsome. Delilah felt a slight tear well up in her eye because she knew her baby boy was growing up.   
  
Before he left, Delilah reminded him, "Now you behave yourself, and be sure to listen to Hagrid."   
  
"Alright, mother," Aaron sighed heavily before he walked out of the door. "I will."   
  
Closing the door behind them, Delilah returned to her room to finish dressing. Fifteen minutes later, she puffed her hair one more time. Grabbing her black robe from her bed, she wrapped it around he and left for the Great Hall.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
Twenty minutes later she was in a part of the castle she'd never been in before, even in her years there as a child. She kept walking down the hallway, hoping to see something that was even remotely familiar. Nothing came even close.   
  
Delilah felt like all hope was lost when she started smelling something really bad. "Ugh, what's that smell?" she mumbled to no one in particular as she covered her nose.   
  
"Ah, is the little teachy lost?" she heard a voice, but saw nothing that it belonged to. Then, right before her, something misty appeared and finally it turned into a blue substance that Delilah could only associate with a ghost.   
  
"Yes, I am," she told it while she clasped her hands tightly together. "Can you tell me how to get to the banquet hall?"   
  
Delilah thought she heard it chuckle before it told her, "Go down the hallway, and knock on the knight's arm three times. It'll open, and the passage way will take you to the Great Hall."   
  
"Thanks," she told it as she walked down the hallway. A minute or so later, she found the knight, knocked on its arm three times like she was told, and it opened before her like a door.   
  
Behind the knight, a passageway appeared that was lit with bowls of light that were placed along the path. Biting her lip she looked back down the hallway, in hopes of seeing someone who could give her a better alternative route, but there was no one.   
  
Seeing she had no choice, she took a deep breath, and started down the path. A few feet into the tunnel, the knight closed behind her. Seeing this, she now had no choice but to keep going.   
  
It seemed like she'd never get out when her path came to a complete stop. There was no door, nothing. "Oh, terrific," she spouted, blowing a stray piece of hair away from her eyes. "Now what?"   
  
Feeling frustrated, she kicked the wall and before she knew it, the wall started to open. In awe, she watched it open into a semi-dark classroom. Carefully, she stepped out into the room.   
  
Once she was in the room, the door quietly closed behind her. She didn't hear any of this because she was to busy looking around the room. Not quite sure why, she thought the room looked vaguely familiar. She just couldn't place it.   
  
The shadowy walls were lines with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of unknown things, which Delilah was not about to investigate. The fireplace was dark, empty, and looked as if the fire had gone out long ago. Delilah shivered slightly when she realized how chilly it was. "Now is not the time for sight seeing," she decided as she continued to look around. Quickly, she walked around the desk and made her way for the doors.   
  
Reaching the doors, she grasped the handle and twisted. Nothing happened. "No, don't be locked," she moaned as she grabbed the handle with her other hand still trying to get it to open. During her struggle, she didn't hear the soft footfall, nor the quiet swishing of a cape.   
  
Before she knew it, a hand grabbed her right shoulder. Jumping, she squeaked loudly and turned around, ready to hit the person if needed. The hand belonged to Severus Snape.   
  
"Professor Snape, what are you doing here?" She asked as lowered her fists, still breathing heavily.   
  
"What am I doing here?" He repeated. "This is my office. Question is what are you doing?"   
  
"I got in here through the passage behind your desk," she explained, pointing the wall behind his desk, which held shelves of books.   
  
"What passage would this be?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes at her. "There's no way in here except through these doors."   
  
"But I tell you there is one," she protested as she walked back behind his desk. Feeling the wall, she mumbled, "Where did it go? It was right here."   
  
"Maybe it was there, but now it is gone," he ground out. "Forget about the passage for now. I understand how you got in here. But why did you get in there in the first place?"   
  
This time she blushed slightly before she mumbled something about, "I had gotten lost."   
  
"You got lost," he replicated slowly, a tad bit disbelieving. "I thought you knew this castle."   
  
"I thought so too," she grumbled. "Yeah, I normally would have, but I turned the wrong corner, getting lost. Then this blue little.thing told me the way how to get to the banquet hall."   
  
"Peeves," he shot out "I guess you aren't at fault this time, but next time, try not to trust him. Poltergeists love to cause problems."   
  
"Yes, I'll try and remember that," she agreed   
  
Then there was a silence between them, an edgy silence. Finally she asked him, "Here's the million dollar question, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the hall by now?"   
  
'Million dollar question? What's a dollar?' he though as he watched Delilah 'Oh, it's a form of Muggle currency.'  
  
"I was just leaving. There was some last minute inventory work that needed to be done," he reluctantly told her. "We should be going. I'll show you the way."   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
A few minutes later, they were ascending the last flight of stairs, and they could already hear the talking and laughter of students filing into the Entrance Hall. Professor Dumbledore was just about to enter a smaller door just off the Great Hall when he saw Delilah and Snape appear.   
  
"Ah, Delilah! Severus! You've arrived," he announced as they walked towards him, a slight smile appearing from under his beard. "I thought we were going to have to send Sir Nicholas after you."   
  
"You know Sir Nicholas won't come near my office," Snape mentioned as they opened the door Professor Dumbledore was about to enter, which lead into small room where the walls were lined with moving paintings of witches and wizards. In the middle of the room, there was a medium-sized table with a few teachers sitting around it. Minerva McGonagall was one of them, and she looked up to see them walking in.   
  
"Good, you've arrived. We should be taking our seats now," Professor McGonagall suggested.   
  
"Yes, we'd better. The first years will be arriving soon," Professor Dumbledore stated as he unwrapped a partially eaten Hershey Almond bar. Breaking off a huge chunk of it, he smiled at Delilah, sighing, "Ah an almond chocolate bar, something every wizard should have. I wish I would have had these when the Dementias were around."   
  
"Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall chastised him. "Not before dinner, you're going to ruin your appetite."   
  
"My dear Minerva, I have the feeling I'm going to need it this year," he explained to her as he broke off another piece. "Voldemort was defeated with his sanity barely in tack. I need to keep a hold a mine."   
  
"Well, if we hadn't let Potter, Weasley, and Granger subject him to all those children shows, maybe he would have been defeated with all of his sanity," Snape pointed out to him.   
  
"What children shows?" Delilah asked since she had no idea what they were talking about. Her grandfather had told her about Voldemort's defeat, but never how it happened.   
  
"They forced him to watch Barney, Tellytubbies, and, worst of all, Pokemon," Snape responded quickly, a look of deep disgust on his face.   
  
"I definitely know how you feel," she agreed, smiling. "Aaron went through a phase where Pokemon was all he wanted to watch. Thankfully it was a short- lived phase, and he never got into Barney and Tellytubbies. I think I would have gone crazy."   
  
"That's pretty much how Voldemort turned out in the end," Dumbledore confirmed as he wrapped up the last of his chocolate and placed it under his robes. "He was crazy enough to lose all of his magical powers, but still had the capability of having a normal life."   
  
"Do you mean he's a Muggle now?" Delilah asked, not sure she quite understood him. This idea was just too hard to believe.   
  
"Yup," he replied, a small smirk appearing on his face. "He sells T-shirts at Disney World. I just saw him a month ago. He's doing quite nicely, and is happy. Strange, isn't it?"   
  
"Yes, quite strange," everyone agreed.   
  
"We should be heading into the hall now. I believe the students are about to arrive," Dumbledore suggested quietly. Nodding to him, everyone, except for Professor McGonagall, followed him towards another door, which Delilah found led into the Great Hall.   
  
When Delilah entered the room, she was stunned. Even after seeing the Great Hall the many times as a little girl, the beauty still had the power to make her speechless. Sitting before her was the table where the teachers sat. There were already a few teachers sitting there, a few that she even recognized, who she waved at. Above the table was a banner that held all the house colors.   
  
The ceiling was lit up with thousands and thousands of brightly lit candles, which were floating in midair over four really long tables. This was where the students would be sitting. The tables were littered with glistening plates and goblets of solid gold, which were sitting on tablecloths of that house's colors.   
  
In front of the teacher's table, there was a three-legged stool. Sitting on top of it was a wizard's hat that was patched, frayed, and extremely dirty. If this had been found in Muggle society it would have been pitched long ago. Here in the wizarding world it held value only among itself. It sorted the first years into their houses.   
  
"You'll be sitting here, my dear," Dumbledore told her, causing Delilah to jump slightly. She'd been off in lala land for so long, she'd forgotten where she was for a moment. Nodding to him, Delilah pulled out the seat he'd indicated, and sat down. Pulling out the chair on her right, he sat down himself.   
  
Not long after everyone had been seated, the double doors on the other side of the Great Hall swung open, and Professor McGonagall strolled through it, leading a line of first years that were looking around the room in awe. Pretty much like Delilah did the first time she every saw it.   
  
For some reason that she couldn't explain, she started singing,   
  
Following the leader, the leader, the leader  
  
Following the leader, wherever we may go   
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Professor Flitwick looked at her with a weird expression on his face. She just turned to him, and smiled innocently.  
  
By this time, all of the students had arrived in front of the teacher's table, all curious about what was going to happen next. Professor McGonagall was standing next to the footstool by now, and was holding a yellowed paper scroll. There was complete silence before it looked like the hat twitched, and then started to sing out.   
  
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
  
But don't judge on what you see,  
  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
  
A smarter hat than me.  
  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
  
And I can cap them all.  
  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
  
So try me on and I will tell you  
  
Where you ought to be.  
  
You might belong to Gryffindor,  
  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
  
Where they are just and loyal,  
  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
  
And unafraid of toil;  
  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
  
If you've a ready mind,  
  
Where those of wit and learning,  
  
Will always find their kind;  
  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
  
You'll make your real friends,  
  
Those cunning folk use any means  
  
To achieve their ends.  
  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
  
And don't get a flap!  
  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!" "Now, when I call your name, you need to come up here, put on the hat and sit on the stool," Professor McGonagall announced as she picked up the hat. Unfurling the scroll, she read off the first name. For each name that was called, a student walked up to the stool, put on the hat like they were supposed to and sat down.some more timidly than others. With each placement the hat called out what house the student was supposed to go to.   
  
Finally, Delilah heard Aaron's name called. Holding her breath, she watched her little boy anxiously climb up onto the stool with the hat on. She wished she could hear what the cap was telling him, but this was something she wasn't privy to. If her son wanted to tell her, he would. No sooner had he sat down than she heard the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Applause came from that particular table, and Aaron happily tore off the hat, jumped off the stool, and ran to his home team.   
  
Five minutes later, the last student was sorted into their house, and the ceremony was complete. Professor McGonagall quietly rolled up the scroll, grabbed the stool and carried them away. Delilah gazed over at Dumbledore as he stood up and started talking. "Ah, crap," she thought. "He's not going to make his speech now. I thought he usually waited until after the feast was over."   
  
"Welcome to another school year. I'll trust you all had an enjoyable holiday," he assumed as he glanced slowly around the room. "Now, before we begin the banquet, I just have one word: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."   
  
Even before the last syllable was out of his mouth, the food started to appear on the tables. There was even more food than Delilah could examine. The sight of all the food reminded her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning, and her stomach was reminding her. A low growl emitted from her, and she grimaced, hoping no one had heard it.   
  
"I told you to come eat at lunchtime," Dumbledore spoke to her in a low tone as he started to spoon a large pile of buttery mashed potatoes onto his plate.   
  
"I forgot," Delilah blushed as she straightened in her seat. "Anyway, I wanted to finish setting up my classroom. It wasn't until I started unpacking that I realized how much stuff I had brought with me."   
  
"It does get that way," Dumbledore agreed, looking at her wistfully. "I remember when I was setting up my first classroom. I still can't figure out where those things came from. It's almost as if it appeared out of thin air."   
  
Delilah chuckled as she continued eating her supper. She loved talking with her godfather because he had never made her feel like she was a child, even when she was young. It made her feel like a grown up.   
  
Food kept on appearing as everyone ate their fill, and it continued on into dessert. Finally, after everyone was full and happy, all the food disappeared and Dumbledore stood up. Now it was time for him to talk.   
  
"Now that everyone eaten to their delight, it's time for a few announcements," he informed them. "First years will note that the forest on the edge of the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. If you need any explanations about it, talk to your House Prefect."   
  
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind everyone that no magic is allowed in the corridors between the hours of 6AM and 10PM."   
  
"Quidditch tryouts will be announced later in the week. Keep an eye on your House's bulletin board for the times. Please speak with Madame Hooch if you would like further details."   
  
"Now, we have a few changes to faculty this year. These three people have kindly agreed to join our ranks this year," he continued. "You may have noticed that Professor Remus Lupin is back with us. He will be taking his post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher once again. Also, he will have an assistant, Sirius Black. Even though he's the assistant, I want all of you to give him all the respect and thoughtfulness that you would give any professor here."   
  
Once it was confirmed that Sirius Black did not commit the murders of the eleven Muggles, he was acquitted of all wrong doing and set free. It had taken a few years for people to start trusting him again, and Professor Dumbledore was the first to give him complete trust by offering him a job at Hogwarts. Dumbledore felt that Sirius would make a valuable contribution to the school, but since he didn't have teaching experience, Sirius couldn't be a full-fledged professor. So while Sirius was getting his credentials, he would be Lupin's assistant.   
  
"I'm sorry to have to tell you that Professor Dipstick has retired because he won the Wizarding Lottery, and felt it was now time to spend time with his family. To take his place is Professor Delilah James. She has some new ideas for the Muggle Studies class, and I hope everyone will enjoy it."   
  
Everyone clapped as he paused, but then stopped when he held up his hand to quiet them. "Because this class will different than from what it was in the past, I will make it a requirement that all those who've taken the class before take it at least for one term. If after the term is up, you don't want to take it, you don't have to.and if you decide you wish to continue, you can do that as well."   
  
"And now, before we head for bed, let's sing the school song, and start this year off with a bang!" cried Dumbledore and he swished his wand through the air and little puffs of silver smoke emitted into the air. Rising into the air, the smoke formed into words, forming the song.   
  
"Sing it as you want, and off we go," Dumbledore continued.   
  
The school sang in mixed chorus:   
  
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
  
Teach us something please,  
  
Whether we be old and bald  
  
Or young with scabby knees,  
  
Our heads could do with filling  
  
With some interesting stuff,  
  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
  
Dead flies and bits of stuff,  
  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
  
And learn until our brains all rot." People finished on their own timing, and just sat there waiting for the last person to finish. It wasn't easy to wait, but they had to. No one could really leave until the last note had been sung.   
  
Once the last note was vocalized, Dumbledore sighed, saying, "Ah, singing is magic beyond magic. In song, anything is possible. Now off to bed, and dream of happy things."   
  
With this, everyone stood up, and walked towards the double doors on the other side of the hall. Delilah sat in her seat listening to the students talking. She heard the prefects call out to the new ones, and he saw Aaron scamper after the group following a young girl with fire-red hair.   
  
Once the room almost void of students, Delilah stood up from her seat, and walked into the room they were in before. No one was in there except for Dumbledore, who seemed to be waiting for her.   
  
"Hard to believe he's growing up, isn't it?" He asked her.   
  
"Yes, it is," Delilah agreed, then covered her mouth as she stifled a soft yawn. "I think I'll say good night now. It's been a long day, and I have the feeling it's going to be a long one tomorrow."   
  
"Yes, it will be. Good night, and I'll see you at breakfast," he told her as he followed her out the door. "And be sure not to let Peeves help you to get someplace. We don't need you getting lost again."   
  
"I'll be sure to make a mental note of that, Dee," she told him as she leaned over, gave him a peck on the cheek, and strolled out of the room.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
Five minutes later she arrived at her room, gave the password to the ladies in pink, and climb through the portrait. Delilah quickly got ready for bed, and finally flopped down onto the mattress of her four-poster bed. Not to long after getting under the covers, she was out like a light, and was already anticipating what her first day of classes would be like. 


End file.
